Vietnam will head into the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship without star scorer Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen, who withdrew due to personal reasons.
Vietnam will march into the 2025 FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Championship without one of its brightest stars.
Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen, the team’s top scorer in past international tilts, has officially withdrawn from the global tournament set from August 22 to September 7 in Phuket, Thailand.
The Vietnam Volleyball Federation (VFV) confirmed the news on Tuesday, saying Tuyen requested to step down due to “family and personal reasons.”
Still, the federation emphasized that the 25-year-old remains a vital member of the national program and her return will be welcomed whenever she is ready to play again.
[ALSO READ: Tuyen-led Vietnam books AVC Women’s Nations Cup Final ticket after toppling Kazakhstan]
Tuyen herself stressed that her choice was not about competitiveness, but about principle.
“For me, sports are not just about competition, they are about respect and fairness. I feel these regulations lack transparency and do not provide the fairness athletes deserve,” she wrote in a statement.
“Every athlete deserves to compete in an environment that is respectful and equal. To protect my integrity and avoid unnecessary risks for the team, I have decided to step back.”
Her remarks come amid reports that Thailand had raised concerns with the FIVB about the gender eligibility of some Vietnamese players, dating back to penalties handed to a Vietnam U21 member in a previous world championship.
Without their leading scorer, the world no. 21 Vietnam faces an uphill climb in Group G, which includes world no. 3 Poland, world no. 11 Germany, and world no. 23 Kenya.
The Vietnamese open their campaign against Poland on August 23.